Welcome to my blog. This blog is all about writing tips for writers and teachers of writing. Twice monthly, I will address one aspect of writing. I will also post tips about no-fee contests and calls for submissions by publishers.
If you would like to know more about me or my books, check out my website at www.nancykellyallen.com

Nancy's Books

Sunday, September 27, 2015

In a workshop I taught this summer, an attendee
asked me how much time should be spent writing each day to pursue a career in
the field. The answer is not a one-size-fit-all. Every person has his/her
amount of available time and tolerance.

Writers who gain contracts usually spend a few hours
each day writing, revising, thinking, revising, reading, and revising. Do you
notice a trend? Revision is the key. Successful writers keep writing and
revising until the manuscript sparkles. That takes time. Spurts of inspiration
are wonderful to motivate a person to write, but successful writers have a
regular schedule. Some days inspiration much be given a nudge and that happens
when we sit with BIC (butt in chair) and write even when we don’t want to,
don’t feel like it, don’t know what to write. Yet, we write anyway.

In Stephen King’s book, On Writing, he states “If
you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot
and write a lot.” There are no shortcuts. Garnering a publishing contract requires
learning the craft of writing and crafting a quality story. Both take time.
Some people have a solid knowledge of the craft and have read widely in the
genre in which they are writing while others are just beginning the journey to
publication.

Don’t be concerned if someone you know spends twice
as much time writing as you do. You’re not in a race with anyone. Concentrate
on what works for you and the time you have to devote to your manuscript; then
write, read, write, revise, write, revise, read, write, revise, read…

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

Flash Fiction/Prose Poetry Contest. The OddContest
is an annual competition for speculative (science fiction, fantasy, or horror)
stories or prose poems no longer than 500 words. The contest has been sponsored
since 2008 by Odyssey Con. The contest offers cash prizes, convention
memberships, and books in both Adult and Youth divisions.

The entry
deadline is January 15 this year and results are announced by March 15. An
awards ceremony and reading of the 2016 winning entries will be held at Odyssey
Con on April 8-10, 2016; they will also be published in the Odyssey Con program
and on this website.

"Third Flatiron Anthologies. "It's Come to Our
Attention" or "Scratching the Surface" -
Under
the radar: things that are happening quietly, without a lot of
fanfare, that may still be extremely significant or make a big
difference.

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About Me

My route to writing children’s books has more twists and turns than a winding mountain road. I worked as a social worker and traveled many a winding road, uphill and down, around Hazard, Kentucky. Later, I became an elementary school teacher, and then a school librarian. After spending days introducing books to children, I spent nights writing books for them. At this point I have written over 30 picture books, one chapter book, and one middle grade novel. I have a master’s degree in Education from Morehead State University and a master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Kentucky. Home is still in Kentucky in the log cabin in which I grew up. My husband, Larry, and I share our cabin with two canine writer assistants, Jazi and Roxi.